Designed
by a Frenchman named, Benoit Fourneyron in 1834. It was the end result of much
effort by the French to design more efficient equipment to harness their streams
to power their growing industry. The Fourneyron Turbine was a sensation from
day one. It could handle any head from less than a foot up to many hundreds
of feet efficiently. ( Up to 85% ) It could handle much more water flow than
the open vertical wheels and it turned many times faster. It is as good today
as it was in the 1830's. ( Maybe Better )

We at the
Water Wheel Factory have chosen the Fourneyron design for our production. It
is a simple design as the blades are bent only in one plane unlike most modern
turbines which twist their blades. The original Fourneyron runners were cast
all in one piece. The blades must to be made to exact "geometric" specifications
so we have computerized the original formulas and specifications so that we
can cut the individual pieces with a computer guided laser cutter and then weld
them together into a modern version of the original runner. This has cut the
cost of production.by half. Also the modern steel of which they are made is
much stronger and smoother than the old cast iron was. It is easy to size the
Fourneyron Turbine to the exact needs of the individual site where it is to
be employed. We have all of the original formulas. Each turbine is fabricated
for the exact flow and fall where it will operate.

As originally
designed the Fourneyron had one "negative" quality. Its efficiency fell off
sharply at part gate. We have fixed this and our new version can deliver near
maximum efficiency down to 25% gate. The Fourneyron Turbine is of the outflow
type. This means that you can see the action as the water exits all around the
outside of the turbine. It needs no draft tube and you can position it just
above,just below,or completely under the water with excellent efficiency.